The TV icon even took legal advice to make sure she could sign contracts for the show without revealing her real age.
She says, "I actually talked to a lawyer about how could I sign these contracts and lie about my age and still be able to do the show: 'Is it OK?' 'Yes it is, as long as you just say you're over 21'."
But Carteris explains her real age was uncovered "illegally" by a snooping reporter.
She tells news show Access Hollywood Live, "A magazine that I won't say did an interview on the show and they asked my age and I said, 'I don't talk about my age...' and they found it in the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) - illegally.
"I thought, 'This is it, I'm gonna lose the job...' By that time the show had been on long enough (and) I was OK."